Dave “Duke” Werner, Associate Athletic Director for Sports Health, enters his second season as men’s basketball sport administrator in 2025-26 after 20 years as the University of Florida men’s basketball athletic trainer.
Werner invested 30 years at the University of Florida as a day-to-day athletic trainer, having spent his first 10 years in Gainesville working with the baseball program, starting in June 1994.
Werner has made a tremendous impact on the Gator basketball program during his tenure, and his planning is instrumental to helping the team make it through the grind of a season in good health. Werner will also continue providing leadership for Florida’s entire sports health team of athletic trainers.
During Werner’s time with Florida basketball, the Gators have made 14 NCAA Tournament appearances including all three national championships, four Final Fours and eight Elite Eight appearances, along with four SEC regular season championships and all five SEC Tournament championships. He provided care to 26 future NBA players, including 15 NBA draft picks and eight first-round selections.
Werner has been a trusted advisor across the tenures of three head coaches, helping strategize practice loads on a team-wide and individual basis. Werner’s input is also instrumental to the Gators’ postseason success, helping the team with the quick turnarounds that postseason play requires.
For the Gators’ 2013-14 Final Four season, which included the historic 30-game winning streak, Florida had a usual starter miss just two games due to injury, with Michael Frazier II, Will Yeguete and Patric Young all playing 39 games. Yeguete, who missed time with injury his sophomore and junior years, started all 39 games of his senior campaign. Young finished his career with 150 appearances, never missing a single game.
During the 2012-13 season, five of Florida’s regular eight-man rotation missed time due to various injuries, but Werner’s care helped three of those players miss just one game. In addition, Werner’s rehab work with Will Yeguete allowed the power forward to return from early-February arthroscopic knee surgery in time to participate in the postseason.
Only one game was missed in 2005-06 due to injury, despite significant injuries to both Lee Humphrey and Corey Brewer, due to Werner’s relentless rehabilitation. In 2006-07 Werner played an instrumental role in rehabbing Al Horford who sprained his ankle on Dec. 10 and returned just over two weeks later in time for a showdown with Ohio State. In 2007-08, the Gators had the same starting lineup for 35 of 36 games.
The Versailles, Ind., native has earned three gold medals as an Athletic Trainer with USA Basketball, at the 2013 U19 FIBA World Championships and the 2012 and 2014 U18 FIBA Americas.
Werner brought to Florida an extensive background in professional sports after spending time in both the National Football League and minor league baseball. Prior to joining the Gator staff, he held a six-month Assistant Athletic Trainer position for the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the 1993 NFL season and served a four-year stint in the Baltimore Orioles minor league organization from 1988-91. As the head Athletic Trainer for the Orioles entries in the Gulf Coast League, Appalachian League and New York-Penn League during the span, Werner’s baseball background translates into top-notch, experienced treatment and care for the Gator players.
As the Florida baseball Athletic Trainer, Werner was responsible for the training duties over 40 future professional players. Werner also watched and helped 12 former Gators make their way through minor league baseball into Major League uniforms.
A 1991 graduate of Eastern Kentucky, he earned a degree in athletic training, as well as a teaching certificate for grades 7 through 12 in physical education and health. Eastern Kentucky named him the 2013 Department of Exercise and Sport Sciences Alumnus of the Year.
Werner continued his education at the University of Louisville, earning a master’s degree in sports administration in 1993. While at Louisville, he served as a Graduate Assistant Athletic Trainer for the Louisville athletic program and worked specifically with the Cardinal basketball, swimming and soccer programs.
Werner is a member of the National Athletic Trainers’ Association, the Southeast Athletic Trainers’ Association and the Athletic Trainers’ Association of Florida. A graduate of South Ripley High School, Werner enjoys fishing and body surfing.
He is married to the former Gwen Strayhorn, and they reside in Gainesville. The couple are the parents of two daughters, Makayla and Catherine, and one son, Colton.
